Network service providers (e.g., Internet service providers or “ISP”) use multi-service edge routing to provide to their subscribers access to a range of network services, such as voice over IP (VoIP), high-speed Internet (HSI), video on demand, etc. Edge routing typically is performed at the edge of the provider's core network. An access network aggregates subscriber lines and carries network traffic to and from one or more multi-service edge routers at the provider network edge. In the case of subscribers who use digital subscriber line (DSL) connections to access network services, for example, subscriber lines typically are terminated at a digital subscriber line access multiplexer (DSLAM) at the telephone company central office (CO), which multiplexes traffic via a high speed connection to the provider's network via a provider edge router such as a multi-service edge router or other access server.
Service providers may undertake certain quality of service (QoS) or other commitments, e.g., through a service level agreement (SLA), and may be required or may agree to enforce subscriber specified or other policies, such as access control list (ACL) based or other security policies or requirements. Some of these commitments and requirements apply to a subscriber or a subscriber's access to a particular service. However, a subscriber may use more than one host to access the network and/or a particular service. Subscribers vary in terms of the number and type of services to which they subscribe, the number and type of hosts they use to access network services, the number and type of service each host is used to access, whether a residential gateway (RG) or other gateway is present on the subscriber's site (e.g., in their home), and if so whether the gateway is configured as a bridge (each host visible to the access network) or a router (gateway visible to the access network). Therefore, there is a need for an effective way to associate subscriber hosts that connect to a provider network with subscriber and/or service based policies.